SPECTACULAR OPENING NIGHT AT MEEANEE

By Shane Hurndell

A near-capacity crowd attended the Hawke's Bay Speedway Club's 2024-'25 season Opening Night at Meeanee on Sunday.

Fans were full of superlatives as they vacated the venue after more than four hours of racing at the Towler Engineering-sponsored event. An 11-crew 2023-'24 season East Coast Sidecar Championship, which wasn't completed last season, was the feature event.

Palmerston North-contracted Rob Miller and swinger Jaxon Hannan, who were late entrants, won the title with victories in all three of their heats. It was the third time Miller had won the title.

He won it with his father Deane Miller when they were national champions in 2012 and with Hannan's Dad and two-time national champion John Hannan in 2018.

Miller, 41, and Hannan, 20, are in their third season of racing together.

"This is an ideal early 21st present for Jaxon who turns 21 in three weeks," Miller explained.

"We will be back next year to try and retain the title," Miller said.

With two wins and a second placing, Hawke's Bay's Justin Lincoln and swinger Tim Beaver, finished two points behind Miller and Hannan in second place. 

A further point back in third place was veteran Hawke's By rider Bill Napier and swinger Dylan Morgan who did well to post three second placings. 

A 24-strong TQ class produced the most exciting racing on the night. The fourth heat was the best and after numerous lead changes Kihi Kihi-contracted 2NZ Aaron Humble pipped his clubmate Regan Tyler by 0.019 seconds to secure the chequered flag.

Consistent Hawke's Bay driver Duane Todd was third.

Hawke's Bay TQ driver Bart Dudding had the first roll over of the season in the first heat for his class. Tyler, who started from grid five, claimed the victory in this heat from Humble, who started from grid five.  Third place went to Hawke's Bay's Ryan MacGregor who started on pole.

Kihi Kihi's Dylan Cooke had a memorable tussle with Humble before winning Heat Two from pole. Humble had started from grid 10 and Aucklander Kayden Barker did well to finish third from grid 10.

Todd won heat three from grid six, Tyler was second from grid nine and Barker third from grid four.

Numerous spectators were heaping kudos on Hawke's Bay Super Saloon driver Thomas Stanaway and rightly so. In his debut meeting in this 11-strong class the former Hawkeyes Superstock driver finished sixth in his first heat from grid nine and second in his second heat from grid 10 and third in the 15-lap feature.

Hawke's Bay's Kevin Martin won heat one from Mount Maunganui-contracted 2NZ Sam Waddell and Hawke's Bay's Jeremy Browne.

Waddell, who started on grid three, took out heat two from Stanaway and Hawke's Bay's Grant Flynn who started on pole.

Waddell secured the chequered flag in the feature from Flynn.

Experienced Hawkeye Quinn Ryan was classy as he won two of the races in the 27-strong superstock class. He won heat one from grid nine. Palmerston North's Trent James was second from grid 12 and Hawke's Bay's Brett Loveridge third from grid two.

Wanganui's Kaelin Mooney won heat two from grid 17, Gisborne's James Clarke was second from grid six and Hawke's Bay's Ben Milne third from grid six.

Ryan took out the 12-lap feature from grid six, Wellington's Tim Parker was second from grid four and Hawke's Bay's Jacob Buckrell third from pole.

Twenty five stockcar drivers fronted and Hawke's Bay's Lauren Swift was the first to roll in this class when she was leading the first heat.

Wanganui's 3NZ Cody Lockett won this race from grid five. Rotorua's Dion Henderson was second from grid 13 and Gisborne's Sam Hughes third from grid seven.

Hawke's Bay's Ethan Anderson took out heat two from grid six, Lockett was second from grid 17 and Palmerston North's Taylor Lampp third from grid three.

Hawke's Bay's Leroy O'Riley won an action-packed third heat from grid 16. Henderson was second from grid 21 and Lockett third from grid 14.

Hawke's Bay's Dontage Irfan shone with his stirring in a 15-strong streetstock class.  Experienced Hawke's Bay drivers Darren Melling and Brent Redington were first and second respectively in heat one and Aucklander Liam Williams third.

Williams won heat two from grid eight. Hawke's Bay's David Adams was second from grid six and host track driver Kurt Bentley third from grid three.

Rotorua-contracted former Hawke's Bay driver Phil McNamara pipped Melling in a close finish to the third heat which saw Hawke's Bay's Adam O'Sullivan finish third.

Article added: Monday 28 October 2024